Sophomore Jack Paley started his company Aspen Crunch in 2011

Douglas Paley describes the moment.

His 16-year-old son was sitting at breakfast, weighing business ideas for a summer entrepreneurship program. Suddenly, a McDonald’s semitrailer drove by, plastered with the image of french fries and a Big Mac.

“Jack looked at me and said, ‘What about an alternative to junk food?’ And that’s where it all started,” Douglas Paley said.

Three years later, Jack Paley is a successful entrepreneur, sophomore at UNC, co-founder of two UNC ventures and co-author of a book, “One Bite at a Time,” telling his story. Just like the McDonald’s truck, Paley is on a roll.

In June 2011, Jack Paley launched Aspen Crunch, a food specialty company that develops dehydrated fruit and vegetable snacks, in his hometown of Aspen, Colorado. Paley and his father sold the snacks out of a local farmers market, catering to health-conscious customers.

“What we put in our bodies relates 100 percent to how we feel not only at the end of the day, but throughout the week and throughout our lives,” Jack Paley said.

Since then, products like “Crater Lake Kale” and “Pyramid Peak Pineapple” have generated more than $50,000 in revenue.

Now, Jack Paley is at UNC to continue his momentum with the help of UNC’s business school and entrepreneurship program.

“We have built a lot of entrepreneurs out of UNC. There are many, many, many who have learned it here,” said Ted Zoller, director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies.

“But now because of our success, (students) identify our program as a leader and one that can take them to the next level. Jack is in that category.”

Through the program, Jack Paley receives one-on-one coaching with Zoller to both develop his business and balance work with school.

“I mentor the very best kids,” Zoller said. “I can tell they have the biggest needs, and they need an advocate within the University to help them navigate the academic waters.”

In addition, the program connects Jack Paley to resources like 1789 Venture Lab, a free working space for student start-ups.

“We are plugging him into high velocity opportunities because he’s a high velocity kind of entrepreneur,” Zoller said.

Zoller said UNC’s entrepreneurship program has unique resources that have attracted student entrepreneurs, including those who have started businesses before coming to UNC.

“What we’ve built is an infrastructure to support transition to entrepreneurship after graduation,” Zoller said. “We are extending our resources just outside of the university. The day (students) graduate, they are supported.”

Despite the many opportunities to expand, Jack Paley is focusing on slowly growing his business and finding the right partner before moving into wholesale.

“I think we will eventually expand, but right now we are trying not to let the business control us, especially Jack,” Douglas Paley said. “If we expanded the business, then he would become a slave to the business.”

For right now, everything is part of a juggling act.

“Aspen Crunch is less of a job than more of an extreme passion,” Jack Paley said. “I love doing what I do, and therefore I can’t complain about it.”

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